1/.... #MARTOT stepping back a few years to 2017 and my Dad's on the British Lions tour to NZ with 25,000 other rugby mad drunkards. I went to South Africa on Martin Johnson's winning tour in 1997 - it was THE BEST trip of my life and @GulliversTravel were brilliant.

2/...Gareth Chilcott was my tour tour leader in 1997 and he was everything you'd have imagined him to be - a magnificent social athlete. 20yrs later and @GarethChilcott is now running his own company @VenatourTravel and my Dad and all his rugby pals from Wales are off to NZ

3/...Huge tour parties are split into manageable groups of 20-30 people and all are encouraged to get along with a seemingly endless whirl of social activities. My Dad was at an early evening cocktail party in his hotel and just getting to know the other people in his group

4/...Naturally the number one convo' is rugby - who've you played for...etc etc? Dad says that he's played, his 3 sons have played, his grandsons are now playing, and pretty much all the others follow suit, except for one couple from Cardiff.

5/...A lovely couple by all accounts, both keen on rugby, but their son wasn't a rugby player, he was a footballer. There was a genuine sadness around the table that their lad didn't play rugby and has chosen 'wendyball' as a choice

6/...."Ohh, that's shame" says my Dad. "Is he any good, is he still playing?"
"Yes, He's doing all right. He's had a few injuries lately, but he's OK now"
"Who's he playing for?" asks Dad
"Real Madrid"